Written Answers Friday 26 August 2005

Scottish Executive

Apprenticeships

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total spend of it and its agencies was on modern apprenticeship programmes in each of the last two financial years and what the estimated spend is for the current financial year.

Allan Wilson: The modern apprenticeship (MA) programme is delivered by the enterprise networks and is funded through their Grant-in-Aid allocations. The actual expenditure on the programme is therefore an operational matter for them. Annual accounts are available on their websites www.scottish-enterprise.com and www.hient.com . and will contain expenditure on Learning and Skills, of which the MA programme is a part.

  So far, in 2005-06, the Executive has spent £2,738.20 on the wider development of MAs from the Apprenticeship Development Fund with an estimated further spending of £60,000 planned for the rest of this financial year. No money was used to support MA development activity in 2003-04 or 2004-05.

Arts

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what direct or indirect financial assistance it has given to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in each of the last five years and what the purpose of the assistance was.

Patricia Ferguson: The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) does not receive direct funding from the Scottish Executive. Financial assistance is made available through the Scottish Arts Council (SAC).

  I have asked the Scottish Arts Council to provide the detailed information requested. Information relating to all grants received by RSNO from SAC, from both voted and lottery funds, is set out in the following tables:

  Scottish Executive Funds (Pounds Sterling)

  

2000-01
Core Funding
2,427,522


2001-02
Core Funding
2,590,613


Towards the cost of engaging the RSNO’s Associate Composer, Michael Torke, to compose a major work for the orchestra
 3,500


Additional revenue funding
 465,000


2002-03
Core Funding
2,590,613


Towards the cost of commissioning an orchestral work from Craig Armstrong
 3,000


2003-04
Core Funding
2,720,613


2004-05
Core Funding
2,795,613


Towards the cost of evaluating an audience development campaign in September 2004
 5,000


Towards travel costs to USA for the Grammy Awards
 2,000


Total
13,603,474



  Lottery Funds (Pounds Sterling)

  

2000-01
Towards the cost of implementation of plan for change in accordance with stage two advancement application
 775,000


2001-02
Nil



2002-03
Towards the cost of broadband installation
 1,100


2003-04
Towards the cost of an orchestral commission by Oliver Searle to be performed by the RSNO in April 2004
 5,000


Towards the cost of purchasing a new, fully customised vehicle for transporting the orchestra to venues throughout Scotland
 41,250 


Towards the cost of a commission by Alasdair Nicolson to celebrate the RSNO Junior Chorus’ 25th anniversary
 5,000


Towards the cost of the recruitment and employment of a General Manager, together with a training budget for the Chief Executive
 60,000 


2004-05
Towards the cost of co-commissioning Einojuhani Rautavaara for a new work to be performed in spring 2006
 5,000


Total
 892,350

Dentistry

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what budget allocations it has made to each NHS board for general dental services (a) in the current year, (b) projected for the next two years and (c) in each of the last three years, also expressed on a per capita basis.

Lewis Macdonald: The general dental services (GDS) allocation to NHS boards is calculated on historic spend and not a per capita basis. This is an indicative and not an actual allocation, as the GDS budget is non-cash limited.

  Information on NHS board’s indicative allocations in the requested financial years is contained in the table.

  

NHS Board
2002-03
(£000)
2003-04
(£000)
2004-05
(£000)
2005-061
(£000)


Argyll and Clyde
16,704
17,363
17,866
18,473


Ayrshire and Arran
14,489
15,060
15,496
16,023


Borders
3,893
4,046
4,163
4,305


Dumfries and Galloway
4,486
4,663
4,798
4,961


Fife
12,275
12,759
13,129
13,575


Forth Valley
10,477
10,890
11,205
11,586


Grampian
18,819
19,561
20,128
20,812


Greater Glasgow
40,188
41,773
42,984
44,445


Highland
6,759
7,026
7,229
7,475


Lanarkshire
19,866
20,649
21,247
21,969


Lothian
31,372
32,609
33,554
34,695


Orkney
596
619
636
658


Shetland
497
518
533
551


Tayside
16,426
17,074
17,569
18,166


Western Isles
829
864
889
919


Total
197,676
205,474
211,426
218,613



  Note: 1. The indicative allocations for 2005-06 do not include at this stage the additional funding earmarked for implementation of the Action Plan for Improving Oral Health and Modernising NHS Dental Services.

Energy

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much will be spent on research and development into energy technology in each year until 2010, broken down by energy type.

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of capital investment on research and development into energy technology will be in each year until 2010, broken down by energy type.

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of capital investment on research and development into energy technology has been in each year since 1999, broken down by energy type.

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on research and development into energy technology in each year since 1999, broken down by energy type.

Allan Wilson: Investment in research and development of energy technology is principally by the private sector. Energy technology research is also supported by the Department of Trade and Industry.

  No information is held centrally by the Executive which analyses levels of investment in research and development into energy technologies. However, the Executive indirectly supports energy research and development through Scottish Enterprise and ITI Energy (£150 million over 10 years), and through funding of the Carbon Trust’s Low Carbon Innovation Programme (around £1.5 million each year). The Executive also supported development of the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney.

  Other programmes that support research and development, but which are not aimed specifically at the energy sector, include SMART, SPUR, and the Executive’s funding of the higher education sector.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the consultation and approval procedure is for reorganising local enterprise companies (LEC).

Nicol Stephen: There is no defined process. A minor change, such as the recent boundary change involving Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey was proposed by Highland and Islands Enterprise and agreed by the Executive. Were there to be any proposals for more substantial change, such as in the role or number of LECs, ministers would consider what consultation was appropriate in the circumstances before taking any decision. No such proposals currently exist.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is available for individuals and companies who are developing new business opportunities with Russia.

Nicol Stephen: Scottish Development International (SDI) supports Scottish business interests in Russia through its own services (including its representative in Moscow) and through partnerships with other organisations.

  The assistance available includes a wide range of services to help Scottish firms develop Russian markets, trading links and strategic partnerships. The support on offer includes:

  
helping companies prepare to internationalise and providing market research
supporting market entry including establishing local contacts and distribution links, and providing discounted rates on serviced office space in the market
assisting Scottish companies and organisations on outward trade missions and attending major exhibitions.


  To offer this range of assistance SDI works with Scottish trade organisations and partners across Scotland including local authorities and Chambers of Commerce, as well as with UK counterpart organisations like UK Trade and Investment, and UK Embassies and consulates.

  Given the size and forecast growth in opportunities in the Russian market, SDI are currently preparing to appoint a second permanent representative to Moscow, as part of the planned expansion of SDI’s field representation from around 50 to over 80 staff.

European Funding

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of European structural funds has been allocated to each (a) local enterprise company, (b) local authority and (c) area tourist board in each year since 1999, expressed also as a percentage of the economic development budget of each body.

Allan Wilson: Current programmes for European structural funds in Scotland run from 2000-06.

  The information available below is the amount in pound sterling allocated under European structural funds to projects where (a) the local enterprise company (b) local authority or (c) area tourist board was the lead sponsor for the project.

  This does not reflect the total amount actually spent on projects by these bodies. Structural Funds require projects to be match funded by other eligible expenditure. As such, these organisations may also be providing a contribution to other projects, as match funders, and figures cannot completely reflect the total spend by each body on projects part supported by structural funds. The figures also do not take into account projects where more than one local authority was the lead sponsor.

  The information is only available for structural funds by calendar year, whereas the economic budgets, where there is an available budget identified as such, are only available by financial year. As a result it is not possible to provide direct comparisons to relevant economic development budgets as requested.

  The following tables, however, outline the level of directly allocated funding made available yearly through structural funds and, where available, the economic budgets of the bodies asked for, by financial year.

  European Social Fund (ESF) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the URBAN II Community Initiative

  (a) Local Enterprise Companies (Scottish Enterprise)

  

(£)
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
(to date)


Scottish Enterprise (main)
110,420
1,255,860
27,510, 839
14,202,349
1,760,130


Ayrshire
3,804,968
607,447
598,239
878,900
999,852


Borders
4,278,546
801,096
725,506
1,633,689
12,690


Dumfries and Galloway
2,245,776
0
970,055
640,000
0


Dunbartonshire
221,118
78,097
258,038
118,586
582,880


Edinburgh and Lothians
1,326,533
1,138,296
1,007,673
482,669
0


Fife
3,236,679
2,534,615
8,490,673
3,267,575
2,088,126


Forth Valley
2,354,804
387,762
92,922
111,337
0


Glasgow
7,719,243
6,474,247
4,727,777
6,695,641
557,089


Grampian
0
0
581,546
22,225
0


Lanarkshire
6,498,811
3,212,553
7,231,316
1,881,111
1,525,000


Renfrewshire
211,159
1,067,143
1,713,702
942,719
0


Tayside
1,314,997
1,904,922
411,482
1,781,300
0



  (a) Local Enterprise Companies (Highlands and Islands Enterprise)

  

(£)
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
(to date)


Highlands and Islands (main)
19,458,233
7,465,260
2,773,303
10,328,638
12,961,462
357,775


Argyll and the Islands
157,415
2,033,784
312,255
0
0
0


Caithness and Sutherland 
119,319
137,138
1,880
635,045
0
0


Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey 
205,803
65,000
0
0
0
0


Lochaber
0
33,575
61,500
26,500
419,079
33,500


Moray
1,159,504
0
0
895,200
0
0


Orkney
90,507
0
0
0
0
0


Ross and Cromarty
266,675
267,300
210,000
0
0
0


Shetland
86,424
79,215
0
654,564
15,000



Skye and Lochalsh
110,551
87,332
29,354
482,674
0
0


Western Isles
106,990
217,231
30,000
30,000
42,000
40,000



  (b) Local Authority

  

(£)
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
(to date)


Aberdeen City 
0
312,035
360,294
334,887
1,166,281
844,507


Aberdeenshire
0
913,730
1,512,550
1,209,641
1,825,692
825,480


Angus
0
528,768
1,523,642
1,618,939
850,294
749,972


Argyll and Bute
2,751,571
5,977,070
3,391,299
4,058,803
3,416,759
581,356


City of Edinburgh
0
2,026,113
2,405,710
2,804,023
5,315,405
3,365,179


Clackmannanshire
0
5,096,194
726,157
615,227
537,075
348,923


Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
5,301,857
545,000
1,479,601
1,384,229
4,527,914
1,495,963


Dumfries and Galloway
0
1,866,561
1,057,522
1,562,835
1,432,630
748,442


Dundee City Council
0
5,406,102
1,977,618
4,255,679
5,953,448
2,530,304


East Ayrshire
0
2,073,333
1,175,374
2,426,528
2,745,497
1,856,610


East Dunbartonshire
0
129,502
127,030
493,339
3,995,479
537,315


East Lothian 
0
66,209
296,479
201,793
1,394,927
665,750


East Renfrewshire 
0
1,598,608
378,111
2,282,399
841,317
468,313


Falkirk
0
846,392
1,109,636
553,881
1,885,378
971,375


Fife
0
6,948,819
4,842,887
4,205,114
7,120,746
6,082,257


Glasgow City 
0
29,223,399
22,397,560
15,597,263
16,030,946
15,560,193


Highland
1,807,711
1,455,503
7,742,872
373,673
6,007,086
1,373,736


Inverclyde
0
957,288
143,164
1,146,916
2,084,613
967,532


Midlothian
0
1,078,150
613,447
455,962
1,322,309
985,814


Moray
56,660
513,067
935,176
446,301
847,988
657,312


North Ayrshire
0
893,982
620,460
696,104
2,355,886
1,617,004


North Lanarkshire
0
933,453
963,793
925,687
6,130,917
3,022,605


Orkney Islands
274,758
5,745,543
594,828
495,921
525,027
27,156


Perth and Kinross
0
371,455
247,825
0
601,379
677,179


Renfrewshire 
0
1,425,696
687,185
776,665
3,814,145
4,030,154


Scottish Borders
0
2,353,349
2,951,315
3,548,630
2,389,069
464,576


Shetland Islands
1,151,356
515,180
2,156,240
837,297
839,506
526,045


South Ayrshire
0
1,348,726
792,844
3,014,492
1,114,262
1,298,414


South Lanarkshire
0
1,029,849
4,341,904
15,975,728
3,018,960
2,179,111


Stirling
0
3,644,074
2,930,497
191,779
2,771,491
1,348,430


West Dunbartonshire
0
506,854
296,430
898,668
1,167,210
825,987


West Lothian 
0
2,049,146
1,328,835
1,530,045
4,732,816
1,591,794



  (c) Tourist Board

  

(£)
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005


Aberdeen and Grampian
0
0
0
306,897
0


Angus and Dundee
0
0
599,325
146,121
0


Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and the Trossachs
672,327
1,168,634
200,000
0
0


Ayrshire and Arran
0
1,289,022
295,272
0
0


Dumfries and Galloway
1,268,555
0
1,338,725
0
0


Edinburgh and Lothians
0
0
0
0
0


Glasgow City Marketing Bureau
0
0
0
687,509
0


Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley
0
742,335
122,986
0
0


Highlands of Scotland
297,494
221,454
202,500
0
0


Kingdom of Fife
2,894,559
5,070,154
0
0
0


Orkney
143,400
0
0
0
0


Perthshire
471,551
0
0
0
0


Scottish Borders
2,092,193
223,445
1,391,892
0
0


Shetland
0
0
0
0
0


The Western Isles
0
0
0
0
0



  The Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme also has allocations for the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and the Fisheries Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG). These funds mainly support private investments in agricultural diversification, food processing and the fisheries sector.

  2. Community Initiatives Under the Structural Funds

  In addition to mainstream funding Programmes, Scotland participates in four Community Initiatives, LEADER+, INTERREG IIIB, URBAN II and EQUAL.

  LEADER+ is largely administered by local authorities or LECs, however these bodies are not the final recipients of the funding. Leader+ grants are distributed by Local Action Groups to support projects run by smaller local organisations.

  Under INTERREG IIIB, local authorities and LECs also participate, but do so as part of an international partnership, so identifying precise figures is not possible.

  URBAN II funding has been included as part of table 1 and is provided as part of the ERDF.

  EQUAL is run via a series of Rounds and Actions, which can be related in yearly terms to 2003-05 (Round 1) and 2004-06 (Round 2). Some EQUAL spending has been allocated to local authorities and this is set out below.

  

(£)
R1
Action 1
R1
Action 2
R1
Action 3
R2
Action 1
R2
Action 2
R2
Action 3


North Lanarkshire
31,016
2,423,986
195,035
65,624
1,709,930
125,000


Glasgow City Council
0
0
0
75,000
1,084,930
200,000



  3. Local Enterprise Company economic budgets

  Scottish Enterprise Network - Paid to LECs (£000) (Gross)

  

 
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05


Ayrshire
27,118
21,917
24,386
19,601
19,601
16,505


Borders
9,324
8,638
12,343
7,997
7,077
8,780


Dumfries and Galloway
10,245
9,981
15,324
9,385
10,035
10,840


Dunbartonshire
22,186
19,198
15,876
17,462
13,579
16,548


Edinburgh and Lothian
53,311
44,945
43,944
38,748
43,760
40,277


Fife
24,238
21,986
21,106
19,186
20,088
22,179


Forth Valley
21,369
20,136
17,319
14,161
12,917
13,155


Glasgow
55,346
55,850
45,771
54,342
49,592
51,733


Grampian
20,558
19,642
18,840
19,683
18,414
18,819


Lanarkshire
43,874
45,434
40,276
31,660
35,148
34,201


Moray Badenoch and Strathspey
2,736
2,031
0
0
0
0


Renfrewshire
22,951
19,503
19,685
18,020
18,779
18,896


Tayside
22,175
23,029
22,326
21,813
20,830
20,165



  Highlands and Islands Network - Paid to LECs £000 (Gross)

  

 
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05


Argyll and the Islands
7,374
7,073
7,416
8,571
10,299
10,293


Caithness and Sutherland 
6,635
3,933
4,115
5,147
4,947
7,860


Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey 
5,808
4,607
4,630
5,271
6,138
6,075


Lochaber
3,527
3,145
2,987
4,365
2,923
3,955


Moray
4,463
4,604
5,803
5,901
5,339
11,876


Orkney
2,783
2,790
2,514
2,751
2,858
2,993


Ross and Cromarty
6,096
5,435
6,262
5,948
7,332
6,791


Shetland
3,462
4,718
2,945
4,125
3,964
3,424


Skye and Lochalsh
6,640
2,656
2,408
2,282
2,526
3,455


Western Isles
7,366
7,290
3,169
5,904
8,444
7,566



  4. Local Authority (LA) economic development budgets

  Economic Development - Net Revenue Expenditure 1999-2000 to 2005-06

  

(£000)
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-051
2005-061


Scotland
57,057
54,632
59,350
65,600
78,150
113,782
90,833


Aberdeen City
2,600
2,395
2,462
2,169
3,896
1,869
1,964


Aberdeenshire
1,385
1,107
1,002
1,283
1,402
1,609
1,762


Angus
614
591
517
1,151
663
972
1,007


Argyll and Bute
454
436
352
342
475
748
806


Clackmannanshire
219
-84
558
504
620
668
593


Dumfries and Galloway
493
616
683
960
1,932
2,031
1,663


Dundee City
4,387
4,548
2,207
3,283
5,750
3,982
4,724


East Ayrshire
323
434
3,027
3,325
5,499
2,274
2,300


East Dunbartonshire
917
642
767
1,750
1,639
1,447
1,416


East Lothian
-212
-236
-127
-68
94
43
-22


East Renfrewshire
165
133
207
298
465
295
336


Edinburgh, City of
1,986
534
4,613
5,280
5,553
5,641
5,161


Eilean Siar
946
514
1,551
1,972
2,194
1,905
1,621


Falkirk
-853
-884
-106
-528
962
768
1,000


Fife
5,275
5,417
5,753
5,875
5,654
5,009
5,045


Glasgow City
17,054
18,703
19,665
18,815
18,288
22,714
28,421


Highland
488
100
280
875
875
1,342
1,167


Inverclyde
427
559
1,099
1,137
1,465
2,430
1,100


Midlothian
431
749
942
1,172
1,347
1,895
1,608


Moray
846
75
-1,358
-200
-136
590
798


North Ayrshire
747
571
876
498
1,126
821
1,003


North Lanarkshire
666
1,158
393
308
1,306
2,445
3,105


Orkney Islands
-338
227
204
213
339
1,657
1,624


Perth and Kinross
581
622
698
532
691
714
922


Renfrewshire
893
899
909
1,092
1,221
1,199
1,163


Scottish Borders
-71
-145
-297
-390
-346
267
120


Shetland Islands 2
4,435
2,494
3,275
3,222
3,981
35,598
6,627


South Ayrshire
590
786
520
622
694
1,376
1,201


South Lanarkshire
10,095
10,000
8,276
7,326
4,650
7,258
8,330


Stirling
-922
-938
180
135
2,182
66
-40


West Dunbartonshire
412
588
431
871
910
1,199
1,176


West Lothian
2,024
2,021
-209
1,776
2,759
2,950
3,132



  Source: 1999-2000 to 2003-04 - LFR 7 return 2004-05 and 2005-06 - POBE return.

  Notes:

  1. Figures for 2004-05 are Provisional Outturn and 2005-06 are Budget Estimates.

  2. Shetland - high figure for 2004-05 due to a one-off payment to a development company.

  3. Area Tourist Boards (ATBs) Economic Budgets.

  There were no specific economic development budgets for ATBs. The following provides the total budgets for each ATB since 1999-2000 until 2003-04.

  

Area Tourist Board
Total Net Income (£)

1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04


Ayrshire and Arran
1,326,300
2,293,000
1,334,600
1,882,845
1,958,548


Angus and Dundee
932,600
919,700
1,259,700
863,960
1,021,517


Aberdeen and Grampian
2,046,700
3,188,000
2,188,700
1,990,911
2,721,868


Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and The Trossachs
3,269,100
1,188,800
3,661,500
3,680,762
5,838,087


Dumfries and Galloway 
918,000
932,500
2,439,850
2,273,911
2,613,549


Edinburgh and Lothians 
3,955,100
3,722,500
3,749,200
5,010,500
5,253,829


Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley
3,073,800
3,474,000
3,484,900
4,255,548
3,972,800


Highlands of Scotland
2,911,100
3,231,800
3,552,800
3,604,159
3,528,114


Kingdom of Fife
987,400
1,013,600
1,199,750
1,015,213
1,685,438


Orkney 
554,700
571,100
620,950
580,120
528,550


Perthshire
1,314,400
1,280,500
1,776,350
1,276,507
1,863,019


Scottish Borders
1,351,000
1,510,000
1,866,000
1,694,895
1,967,204


Shetland
486,400
442,500
580,600
430,686
526,400


Western Isles
435,200
436,400
715,750
842,908
557,869

G8 Summit

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on whether any of the police officers involved in the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes had been deployed in Scotland for the G8 summit.

Cathy Jamieson: The deployment of police officers and police resources is an operational matter for the relevant chief constable.

G8 Summit

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what services, personnel and support the police received from the armed forces during the period of the G8 summit.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Police Service worked with a number of partner agencies, including the armed forces, to ensure that the recent G8 summit and related events could take place in a safe and secure environment.

  The support provided by the armed forces included assistance with transport and other specialist resources such as Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel.

G8 Summit

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total costs were of policing during the period of the G8 summit, broken down by local authority.

Cathy Jamieson: Final estimates of the cost of policing the G8 summit are not yet available. Work is still on-going to assess the total cost with a number of bills and invoices yet to be received. Details of costs will be published later in the year.

G8 Summit

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total costs were of any specialist riot training police officers received in the run-up to the period of the G8 summit.

Cathy Jamieson: Work is still on-going to determine the additional costs incurred by police forces as a result of the G8 summit. Information on total costs later in the year.

Health

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10002 by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 September 2004, whether it now has a strategy for reducing the incidence of osteoporosis and, if not, whether it intends to develop such a strategy.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive continues to promote healthy living in Scotland and thereby impact upon modifiable risk factors for osteoporosis such as poor diet, smoking and lack of exercise. The Executive does not have a strategy exclusive to osteoporosis and has no current plans to introduce such a strategy.

Justice

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were subject to a police investigation into the crime of fraud which was passed to the Procurator Fiscal and, of these, how many people subsequently appeared in court on a charge of fraud in the last full year for which figures are available, broken down by police force area.

Colin Boyd QC: Three thousand, nine hundred and fifty-four people were reported to procurators fiscal by the police in the financial year 2003-04 for allegedly committing an offence involving fraud. Criminal proceedings in court were taken in respect of 2,343 of these people. A breakdown of these figures by Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service area corresponding to police forces is shown in the following table:

  Number of People Reported to Procurators Fiscal (PF) by the Police for Offences Involving Fraud1 and Number of those Reported who were Subject to Criminal Proceedings in Court2 In Financial Year 2003-04.

  

COPFS Areas
Number of People Reported to PF
Number of Reported People Subject of Criminal Proceedings


Central
286
176


Dumfries and Galloway
105
70


Fife
320
184


Grampian
243
173


Highland and Islands3
162
88


Lothian and Borders
666
388


Strathclyde4
1,761
1,006


Tayside
411
258


Total
3,954
2,343



  Notes:

  1. Includes charges of fraud, attempted fraud, fraudulent scheme and fraud involving credit/debit cards, board and lodgings and taxi/vehicle fares.

  2. Excludes alternatives to prosecution and non-court disposals. In 70 cases the charge proceeded with by the Procurator Fiscal was a charge of, for example, embezzlement, theft or another crime of dishonesty rather than a charge of fraud.

  3. Corresponds to Northern Constabulary.

  4. Includes COPFS Areas of Ayrshire, Argyll and Clyde, Glasgow and Lanarkshire.

Land Reform

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to bring forward new land reform proposals, including the timescale for such proposals.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive is already successfully delivering its wide-ranging land reform agenda, which includes legislation to abolish Scotland’s archaic feudal system; to simplify agricultural tenancies and provide an agricultural tenant’s right to buy; to establish statutory rights of responsible access to land and inland water for recreational purposes; to provide opportunities for rural and crofting communities to purchase land; to address local government issues, and to create National Parks in Scotland. Implementation of this programme is on-going and we have recently consulted on, and are now considering responses to, a draft of a Crofting Reform Bill, which I hope will be introduced to Parliament in the 2005-06 legislative session.

  The Scottish Executive has also delivered non-legislative measures, such as increasing local community involvement in land management; introducing the Forestry Commission Scotland’s National Forest Land Scheme; increasing awareness of compulsory purchase powers; providing information on sources of land ownership; co-ordination of activity between public landowning bodies; encouraging community management of croft land and tackling absenteeism; evaluating the impact of new planning guidance; reviewing compulsory purchase and compensation legislation, and reviewing deer control measures.

  I intend to take stock and to report to Parliament next year on the effects of the measures already implemented. In taking stock, we will also look at the need and scope for, and the best way to achieve, any further land reform measures.

  The Executive continues to build on its success in delivering land reform for the benefit of the people of Scotland. It is vital, therefore, that any new proposals are built upon secure foundations and are carefully considered and consulted upon in the same way as our present agenda.

Mortality

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people are dying at home in each NHS board area and what the reasons are for any disparity between areas.

George Lyon: The information requested is given in the following table.

  Percentage of deaths occurring at the deceased’s usual address in each health board area in Scotland in 2004

  

Argyll and Clyde
21%


Ayrshire and Arran
19%


Borders
19%


Dumfries and Galloway
23%


Fife
19%


Forth Valley
18%


Grampian
19%


Greater Glasgow
20%


Highland
22%


Lanarkshire
21%


Lothian
18%


Orkney
29%


Shetland
25%


Tayside
20%


Western Isles
24%


All Scotland
20%



  As the table shows, there are relatively small variations from the Scottish mean of 20%. The most significant variations occur in the Island NHS board areas. This is likely to reflect a range of factors including choices made by individuals and families in consultation with the relevant General Practitioner, other social factors, and geography.

Police

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what laws, standards, protocols and guidelines apply to the police in relation to displaying their numbers and identifying themselves and whether these also apply to officers from police forces outside Scotland when deployed in Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson: There is no statutory requirement in the UK for police officers to display their identity numbers, although in normal policing circumstances it is considered good practice to do so.

  Uniforms vary across police forces and, on occasion, when an officer is wearing protective equipment, identity numbers or other markings may be obscured.

Prison Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many self-harm incidents there were in HM Prison Cornton Vale in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information is available from 2002-03 onwards and is as follows:

  

Year
Number of Self-Harm Incidents


2002-03
115


2003-04
100


2004-05
45

Prison Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what support will be available over the next year for the rehabilitation of prisoners with a drug problem on leaving prison.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  
As well as access to voluntary throughcare, on leaving prison, prisoners will have access to the new Throughcare Addiction Service introduced on 1 August. This is a national service provided through local authority Criminal Justice Social Work groupings, acting as the lead agency and working together with SPS, Drug Action Teams, community services and other partners.

Renewable Energy

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many wind farm planning applications have been referred to ministers after being refused by local authorities in each year since 1999, listing them all; how many of these applications are current, and how many have been (a) approved and (b) turned down by ministers.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information in the following table shows that 17 planning applications involving multiple wind turbines have been referred to ministers on appeal after being refused by local authorities since 1999. Of the 17 appeals, six appeals remain current and three were withdrawn before any decision was reached. Of those that have been determined the appeal was allowed and planning permission granted in four cases and in a further four the appeal was dismissed and planning permission refused.

  

File Reference
Date of Receipt
Development Site
Development Description
Decision Date
Decision


P/PPA/130/69
25.07.01
An Suidhe, Argyll
Wind farm comprising 24 turbines
N/A
Withdrawn


P/PPA/170/80
22.02.02
Carlesgill Hill, Langholm
Erection of 5 wind turbines
11.07.02
Planning permission granted


P/PPA/340/283
23.04.03
Balado Activity Centre, Balado, Kinross
Installation of 3 wind turbines
14.01.04
Planning permission refused


P/PPA/380/232
25.07.03
Penbreck and Carmacoup Forest, Nr Glespin
Formation of wind farm
26.05.04
Planning permission refused


P/PPA/170/102
07.11.03
Carlesgill Hill, Langholm
Erection of 3 wind turbines
N/A
Withdrawn


P/PPA/300/128
23.01.04
Hills of Towie, Drummuir, Keith
Erection of 21 wind turbines
11.04.05
Planning permission granted


P/PPA/310/88
31.03.04
Clydeport, Hunterston Terminal, Largs
Erection of 13 wind turbines
08.02.05
Planning permission refused


P/PPA/270/285
01.04.04
Borrowston Mains, Dounreay, Thurso
Erection of 10 wind turbines
03.03.05
Planning permission refused


P/PPA/110/456
01.04.04
East Mains of Dummuie, Drumblade, Huntly
Erection of 7 wind turbines
22.09.04
Planning permission granted


P/PPA/110/460
13.04.04
Smiddyhill Farms, Laurencekirk
Construction of wind energy project
N/A
Withdrawn


P/PPA/170/117
23.06.04
Carlesgill Hill, Langholm
Erection of 5 wind turbines
09.11.04
Planning permission granted


P/PPA/110/504
12.01.05
East Bradieston, Laurencekirk
Erection of 6 wind turbines
N/A
Current


P/PPA/250/507
27.01.05
Clatto Farm, Ladybank, Cupar
Erection of 17 wind turbines
N/A
Current


P/PPA/330/32
14.03.05
Enyas Hill, Rendall, Orkney
Erection of 3 wind turbines
N/A
Current


P/PPA/340/420
17.03.05
Land at Green Knowes, By Glendevon
Erection of 18 wind turbines
N/A
Current


P/PPA/300/166
25.05.05
Balnamoon, Crossroads, Keith
Construction of a wind turbine
N/A
Current


P/PPA/340/459
08.08.05
Land at Drumderg, Blairgowrie
Erection of 16 wind turbines
N/A
Current

Special Advisers

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-13347 by Mr Tom McCabe on 13 June 2005, on how many occasions in 2004-05 departmental special advisers have travelled (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited, and how much each visit cost.

Mr Tom McCabe: I refer the member to my corrected reply to question S2W-13347 published on 13 June 2005 which included the information requested in the period between 1 April 2004 and 31 December 2004. Between 1 January 2005 and 31 March 2005 Scottish Executive special advisers made 28 journeys within the UK and 3 journeys abroad in an official capacity. This is shown in the following table.

  

Period
Place Visited In UK
Cost (£)
Place Visited Abroad
Cost (£)


10.10.2004
East Kilbride
£44.80
 
 


10.10.04 – 16.10.04
 
 
Beijing
£244.65


12.10.2004
Hamilton
£43.60
 
 


15.10.2004
Motherwell and Glasgow
£91.30
 
 


22.11.2004
London
£44.50
 
 


06.12.2004
London
£70.30
 
 


10.12.2004
 
 
Brussels
£22.20


12.12.04 – 13.12.04
Aberdeen
£52.20
 
 


13.12.2004
London
£39.10
 
 


20.12.2004
Inverness
£23.50
 
 


20.12.2004
Inverness
£74.51
 
 


21.12.04 – 22.12.04
Kyle of Lochalsh
£53.50
 
 


05.01.05 – 06.01.05
London
£443.20
 
 


13.01.05 – 14.01.05
Inverness
£180.00
 
 


23.01.05 – 28.01.05
 
 
Beijing
£5,077.28


31.01.2005
Perth
£24.60
 
 


31.01.2005
Inverness
£112.30
 
 


01.02.2005
London
£333.00
 
 


01.02.05 – 02.02.05
London
£485.20
 
 


14.02.2005
Glasgow
£6.00
 
 


16.02.2005
Dundee
£54.80
 
 


22.02.2005
London
£307.30
 
 


28.02.05 – 01.03.05
London
£318.80
 
 


03.03.05 – 05.03.05
St Andrews
£203.80
 
 


11.03.2005
London
£283.00
 
 


14.03.2005
Galashiels
£32.40
 
 


20.03.05 – 21.03.05
Lerwick
£423.30
 
 


20.03.05 – 21.03.05
Shetland
£375.00
 
 


21.03.2005
London
£285.70
 
 


21.03.2005
London
£383.00
 
 


25.03.05 – 30.03.05
London
£533.87
 
 



  The information above includes details of air, rail, hired cars, miscellaneous travel, subsistence and motor mileage costs claimed by special advisers in the period 1 January 2005 to 31 March 2005. Further information about additional costs attributable to some visits at the latter end of 2004 have been included in the table above as these costs were not known at the time of the reply to question S2W-13347. The table above excludes special advisers travel related costs incurred within Edinburgh or Glasgow if they were permanently based there.